Railway-car.



E. C. BRITT.

RAILWAY CAR.

APPLICATION FILED Me. 5. 1916.

1,231,122. PatentedJune 26, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET llNVENTOR Edmund 6f Brill WITNESSES ms mamas PETERS co.PHOTD-LITND WASNINGNN. n. z

UNXTED STATES PATENT @FFICE.

EDMUND C. BRITT, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

RAILWAY-CAR.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June 26, 1917.

Application filed December 15, 1916. Serial No. 137,211.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDMUND G. BRrr'r, a citizen of the United States,residing at Seattle, in the county of King and State of Washington, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Cars, 'of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to railway freight cars, more especially to flatcars, and has for its primary object to provide such cars With means forsupporting, the stakes whereby logs transported on said cars may bemaintained securely stacked thereon, and when such logs are to beunloaded, readily releasing said stakes which through the pressure ofthe logs will disengage them from the car and permit the logs to rolltherefrom.

Another object of the invention is to provide stake supporting means forflat cars which securely hold said stakes in upright position againstthe pressure of the logs stacked against the inner sides thereof andwhich supporting means is in the form of a locking device that isoperable from the opposite sides of the car, thus enabling the stakes tobe removed from one side of the car without exposing the operators todanger of injury from the unloading logs.

A further object of the invention is to provide a flat car designed totransport logs with means for supporting said logs above the floor ofthe car and in connection with said means stake holding and lockingdevices which, while securely maintaining the stakes in their uprightposition, may, when desired, release said stakes to permit the car to be.unloadedQthe release being efiected fromtheopposite side of the car andmay be performed irrespective. of the pressure against the stakeproduced by the logs carried on the car.

With the above as the principal objects in view, the invention consistsof other novel constructions, combinations, and arrangements of partshereinafter described, pointed out in the appended claims, andillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is an endview of a portion, of a flat freight car with the improved log bunk andstake supporting means applied thereto, the central portion of the carbeing broken away,

Fig. 2 is a top plan view illustrating the improved log bunk and stakesupport as applied to a freight car,

Fig. 3 is an outside elevation of aportion of the bunk and stakesupport, parts being shown in section on the line 38 of Fig. 2, Fig. 4is a transverse sectional view of the lIlVGIltlOIl on the line 44 ofFig. 8,

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of a modified form of the log bunk and stakesupport,

Fig. 6 is a side view of the same,

Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional view on the line 7-7 of Fig. 6, and

Fig. 8 is an enlarged sectional view showing the stake locking device.In the drawings, 10 indicates a freight car, a portion only of which isshown, the car being what is known as a fiat car, 11 being the floorthereof which extends transversely across the car to the extreme sidesthereof and on each side is generally bolted a bracket in which uprightstakes are seated. In the present invention designed particularly to beused on flat cars that transport timber, there is mounted on each sideof the car and at each end or near each end thereof a metal bracket 12made preferably of malleable iron or steel, each bracket including afiat vertical plate 13, the lower half of which bears against the sideof the car 10, while the upper half projects above the floor of the car.From the rear or inner side of each bracket there projects a horizontalplate 14 that rests-upon the floor of the car and is secured thereto bybolts or other fastening means 15 passing through the plate 14 and intothe wood work of the car. Ribs 16 are cast integral with the plates 13and 14 from the upper side of the plate 14 for the purpose ofstrengthening the bracket 12. Integral with each bracket 12 andprojecting, outwardly from the top thereof are two pockets 17, thepockets of each bracket being spaced apart a certain distance and areeach provided with a bottom 18 and a vertical outer end 19 to form seatsfor supporting the ends of transverse metal beams 20 to be hereinaftermore particularly described, Each pocket 17 is braced and supported by arib '21 that extends downwardly from said pocket and is integraltherewith and with the vertical plate 13 of the bracket 12. Between thepockets of 'each'bracket 12 and the ribs 21 above the horizontal plate14, the vertical plate is omitted in order to provide a passageway forthe metal bars 20 and a timber 22 between said bars secured to the barsby through bolts 23. The brackets 12 are secured near the ends of a fiatcar on each side and. opposite one another so that the metal bars whichalso extend transversely of the car may have their ends seated in thepockets 17 of the brackets. The ends of the timber however do not extendas far as the bars 20 but terminate in contact with the inner faces ofthe vertical plates 13, as indicated in Fig. 4.

Near the bottom of each bracket 12 between the ribs 21 is a horizontalshelf or support 24 with upwardly extending flanges 25 on the front andsides, the front flange having a central notch 26 as indicated in dottedlines in Fig. 3. Supported on each shelf 24 is the lower end of a stake27 which may be made from a section of rail, as shown in the drawing, orbe formed of channel iron, T-bars, or I-beams, as desired. The stakesextend upwardlyabove the floor of the car to the required height and aremaintained in their upright positionby a disengageable locking devicecomprising a hook 28 secured to each stake and a longitudinally groovedroller 29 pivotally mounted in the ends of the bars 20. The hook 28 hasits engaging end 30 nearly as wide as the space between the beams 20,the opposite end of the hook being divided to form two ears 31 whichextend around and on opposite sides of the stake and are secured theretoby bolts-or rivets 32. In the present instance where rails are used toform the stakes these fingers closely embrace the base of the rail andbear against the opposite sides of the web thereof as clearly shown inFig. 2. The engaging end 30 of the hook 28 is directed downwardly inposition to engage a longitudinal groove 34 in the roller 29. Thisroller extends horizontally between the bars 20, from the ends of whichroller 29 journals 35 project to rotate in circular openings 36 in theends of the bars 20. One of said journals extends outwardly beyond thebar a short distance and is given a polygonal shape, as at 37, toreceive one end of a crank arm 38 by means of which the roller 29 isrocked. The opposite end of the arm 38 is pivotally connected to ahorizontal rod 39 that extends transversely across the floor of the carand through a slot 40 in the plate 13 of the opposite bracket, the outerend ,of the rod 39 is turnedupwardly as at 41 to provide a hand grip, bymeans ofwhich the rod is actuated. A notch 42 is made in the under sideof the rod near its outer'end to engage the plate 13 and lock the rollerin position to hold the hook 30 from disengagement with the notch 34 inthe roller 29. The outer ends of each timber 22is cut away as at 43 toprovide an opening for the locking hook 28 and roller 29.

If desired, means for holding the notch 42 in the rod 39 in engagementwith the plate 13 of bracket 12 may be provided and such means as shownconsists of a swinging latch 44 pivoted to the plate 13 aboverthe slot40 and permitted to swing by gravity over the top of the bar 39 withinthe hand grip 4'1. WVhen the rod 39 is to be operated, it is onlynecessary to swing the latch to one side beyond the rod so that thelatter may be lifted.

As a modification of the log bunk I may dispense with the bracket 12,bars 20 and timber 22 and in place thereof provide two channel bars 45held a suitable distance apart by cross channel shaped brackets 46 andsupport said channel bars upon the floor of the car, their ends beingprovided with the circular openings 36 forrollers 29 similar to those inthe preferred form of the device. The ends ofthe channel bars 45 projecta very short distance beyond the sides of the car and between them isplaced a vertical plate '47 bolted to the car and having its bottom bentupon itself out- .wardly as at 48 to form a broad hook-like supporthaving a central notch 49 andiserv ing as a support for the bottom endsof the stake 27. The locking means comprising the roller 29 and the hook28 will be the same as in the preferred form of the clevice.

In loading a car equipped with the 'improved device, the ends of thelogs are supported by the bunks at each end of the car and are preventedfrom rolling sidewise from, the car by the vertical 'stakes 27. Thesestakes, each of which has a hook 28 secured thereon, are supported attheir lower ends by the shelves 24, the web of the stake extending intothe notch 26 of the shelf flange 25 and locks this end of the stake frombeing pushed laterally by the weight of the logs out of engagement withthe support. The end 30 of the hook 28 engages with the longitudinalslot 34 in the roller 29 and the latter being retained in the positionshown in Fig. 4 by the locking engagement of the rod 39 with the plate13 no lateral pressure of the load against the stakes will causedisengagement of these parts. An important feature in this connection isthe relative position of the hook and roller with relation to the axisof rotation of the roller 29. As shown in Fig. 8, the bottom of thegroove 34 against which the extremity 33 of the hook 28 engages isslightly above the axis of rotation ofthe roller and a little to theoutside thereof. The lateral pressure on the stake therefore is appliedto the roller 29 by the end 33 of the hook 28 a little above and beyondthe center not sufficiently far in either direction to place a strainupon this connection, but suflicient to enable the roller to be easilyoperated when the rod 39 is disengaged from its connection with theplate 13 and drawn outwardly. The roller will thus'be enabled to 'turneasily on its journals and disengage the hook from the groove in theroller 29. :When the roller has been turned a distance sufficient todisengage the hook 28, the weight of the logs against the stakes 27 willbe sufficient to push the stakes outwardly from the car and beingsupported only by the shelf 24, the stakes will fall downward and permitthe logs to roll off the bunk. It is desirable in this connection tosecure the stakes each to the car by a chain of suitable length toprevent the stakes being lost or left below the logs when the car isremoved from the place of unloading.

What I claim is:

1. A locking device for railway car stakes comprising a hook shapedmember secured to the stake, a rocking roller journaled on the car andhaving a notch in its peripheral surface adapted to engage the extremityof the hook member and hold the stake in upright position, meansoperable from the opposite side of the car to rock said roller forengaging and disengaging the hook member, and means for locking saidoperable means to prevent movement of the roller when the latter isengaged by the hook-shaped member.

2. A locking device for railway car stakes comprising a hook shapedmember secured to the stake, a rocking roller journaled on the car andhaving a notch in its peripheral surface to engage the extremity of thehook-shaped member and hold the stake in upright position the engagingsurface of said parts contacting above the axis of the roller andtending to rock said roller and cause the disengagement of the hooktherefrom when the stake is subjected to pressure from the inner side,an operating bar extending across the car to the opposite side forrocking said roller to engage and disengage the hook member, and meansfor locking said bar to prevent movement of the roller when engaged bythe hook-shaped member.

3. In a device of the class described, a car bunk, a stake adapted to bemaintained in vertical position at each end of said bunk, and means forsupporting said stake, said means comprising a shelf for the bottom ofthe stake and a locking means between the stake and the bunk including ahook shaped member and a grooved roller adapted to engage said member,and means for rocking the roller to disconnect the hook.

4. In a device of the class described, a stake adapted to be supportedin vertical position at the side of a car, a shelf carrying the lowerend of said stake, a hook extending inwardly from said stake, a groovedrocking roller adapted to engage said hook and maintain the stake inupright position, and means on the opposite side of the car for rockingthe roller to disengage the hook.

5. In a device of the class described, a log bunk comprising a timberand a metal bar bolted to each side of said timber and projecting at itsends beyond the end of the timber, a bracket on each side of the carhaving pockets to support the ends of said bars, a stake supported atits lower end by a shelf on each of said brackets, a hook extendinginwardly from said stake, a rocking roller journaled in said bunk barsand having a longitudinal groove to engage said hook, and means forrocking said roller to disengage the hook.

6. In a device of the class described, a railroad car stake, a lockingmeans for maintaining the same in vertical position against pressure onits inner side, said locking means comprising an inwardly projectinghook with a downwardly projecting point, a roller having a longitudinalgroove. in one side thereof, the bearing surface of which groove toco-act with the point of the hook being above and without the axis ofrotation of the roller, and means on the opposite side of the car forturning said roller.

7 In a device of the class described, a log bunk, a bracket on each sideof a car to receive the ends of the bunk, said bracket comprising avertical plate and a horizontal plate to bear on the outer side and thefloor of a car, a pair of spaced pockets for the end of the bunk, and ashelf adapted to support the lower end of the stake.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDMUND C. BRITT.

Witnesses:

G. H. WILLIAMS, H. W. SMITH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

